UnReality
by Athura
Summary: The X-Men are nice. But, let's be honest, they deal with the simple stuff. When it comes to the darker part of reality, the darker side of mutants... That's were we come in. My code name is Reality, and we are the X-Generation.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so normally I wouldn't do this…but I did. I think the picke has been spunched. Please excuse the spelling/grammar errors. I will fix them soon.  
**

**Chapter 1.1**

**I'm Not Crazy…**

It has been a long time since Mutants were accepted as a reality in our world. It'll be longer still until we're welcomed in this world for who we are. I wish I could say that I didn't agree with them, but I do. Mutants are horrible creatures with advantages and powers beyond most people's conception. Since I was little, I've been plagued by Mutants. Like they're drawn to me, many of them trying to kill me for one reason or another…

I'd say this is a cruel reality…but it's not. I just can't tell what's real or not anymore. Sometimes, I just want to give up, and yet I always keep running.

I've heard of Xavier's School for Gifted Youth before. A small part of me considered joining, especially when he approached me one night in New York. He said that he had the power to help me, to make me stronger and control my power. It was too good to be true. But then, powerful Mutants showed up, one by the name of Magneto, and Xavier left. I ran away in the confusion, and I never saw him again after that.

I knew it was too good to be true.

So, back in 2006, Xavier opened up a second school. I heard about it. This one was in Hartford, Connecticut. At the time, I was trying to survive in California, though, so I dismissed the prospect.

It wasn't until early 2008 that I was offered help. By that time, I had drifted back to the east coast. I'm pretty sure I was in Georgia. Through pure chance, I had been reminded of the school in Connecticut, which didn't seem so far off anymore. I was desperate and hungry, I hadn't had what I could determine as real human contact in years. I didn't know who was real anymore.

I walked most of the way. I caught the occasional ride in the back of a pickup truck, or a bus, but for the most part, I had trekked most of the United States on my own two feet. Sometimes, it felt like walking was the only thing that kept me sane. At least the road beneath me was real.

So this is where I stood. Outside of the red brick wall and wrought iron gate of Xavier's second school.

Ezno stood beside me. He always did, he was my eldest and dearest companion. He was light skinned, with black hair and wire glasses, a bit of stubble and a serious face. Despite his almost cold demeanor, he always managed to comfort me without trying…

"I shouldn't." I finally said.

"Then don't." he answered.

"I won't."

"You can't."

"I know."

"We're on the same page."

"We are."

"But…"

"Ugh, what now old man?"

"I'm not the one talking to myself here."

I turned to look up at him, but he was gone. I sighed to myself, and slouched against the wall. Real or not, Ezno was right. What if someone here could help me? But, a part of me was afraid that if I touched reality again, I would lose some of the comforts of my insanity. But ugh, all this thinking just made my brain hurt!

I remained standing there for a long moment, uncertain and contemplating. The grounds behind the wall sounded quiet, and it was in that silence that I found my discomfort…

With my pack slung over my shoulder, I made for the gates. They opened as I approached, but as I looked across the front lawn, decorated with well trimmed trees and oddly perfect grass, I felt myself shudder. "This is a bad idea," I muttered to myself as the stone walkway gave into a gravel driveway. Then, I looked up at the mansion, and my jaw just…dropped.

Four stories tall in an elegant Victorian style, with long arched windows and double French doors leading in. Steeple style roofing and elegant pillars. I swallowed hard, and turned on my heels.

"Uh, s'cuse me miss?" I whirled back around. One of the double doors has opened, and a man was standing at the stop of the steps. Smiling, he continued, "Is…there anythin' I can help ya with?" I recognized his accent, very thick Boston. I would know, I stayed in Boston for a little while a few years ago.

I grinned, probably a real horrible sight on this premises. My blonde hair was greasy and dirty, hanging over into my face and eyes. My clothes were in tatters, about five sizes too big for my tiny little frame. I sighed and shook my head, "Nah," I turned again and went back towards the gate, "I don't think I belong here anyway."

"Y'sure?" asked the man, I heard his footsteps coming down the steps towards me, "Y'look like you can use a good rest there Girlie. Maybe a warm meal…how 'bout you come on in? We ain't gonna harm you."

I turned to face him. He stood only a few feet away now, smiling at me with big blue eyes and soft brown hair. Hands in his jean pockets, he waited for a response.

I shook my head again, "I don't belong here."

"You're a mutant, aren't you?" he asked suddenly, I was taken by surprise, "We're pretty good to mutants here, like a family, y'know?"

Ez appeared at my side, "Don't worry, Chrissy," he said, "I'm here to protect you if you need it. Just…hear them out."

I frowned and turned to glare at my Guardian, "You sure did change your tone fast, old man." I shot.

"Um…who are you talking to?"

I jumped and Ez vanished at my side. "Oh! Um, nobody. I, uh, think aloud sometimes." I stuffed my hands into one of my hugely oversized jeans and shrugged, "I'm a bit ratty for a place like this, don't you think?"

He smiled and turned, "C'mon, I'll take you to meet the professor."

I adjusted my pack, and remained where I was, thinking about it for a long moment. The man turned, and watched, until I finally started moving my feet towards him. He paused, then held out a hand, "Sorry, I never introduced myself. I'm Zachary Parsidia." He chuckled, "But, most people just call me Stopwatch."

I reached out, took the tips of his fingers in a handshake and quickly retreated back. I had learned not to trust people, real or imaginary. "Uhm, Chrissy Matthews."

Zach smiled. "Chrissy then," he said, then turned and walked back up the steps with my following at a safe distance behind him, "So, Chrissy, what's your ability?"

I remained silent.

We stepped into the foyer, a nicely tiled area with two arched doorways to the left and right, leading into the kitchen and a large living area. To the front, were stairs lined in red and gold carpet, an elegant wooden rail that had been crushed near the middle. There were doors to either side of the stairs.

"It's so big." I muttered.

Zach chuckled, "Trust me, we need the space." He caught me staring at the destroyed rail, and folded his arms over his chest, "One of our students got a little ahead of 'imself and crash landed." He perked up, then started moving to the left, into the living area.

This place was wide and spacious, with light flowing in through the wide windows, three large TV's, couches and cushions. Zach moved through the room quickly, to a door on the far side.

He opened this, to reveal a rather small room in comparison to the rest of the mansion. Circular, with a desk on the far side. Chairs were set up like pews before the desk, with people filling many of the seats. Zach moved to sit in the back, offering me a seat beside him. Many of the people turned to look at me, and my heart started racing. I turned my head, prepared to bolt, then the bald man behind the desk cleared his throat.

"That's it for today's meeting." His voice was deep and quiet. Zach's hand pulled me aside as the people got up and out of their seats, walking to the door. Most of them paused to look at me as I willed myself to hide behind something…anything. The space suddenly went dark as a large box surrounded me. There were a few surprised gasps, and a couple of giggles.

I remained there for a long moment as the people filtered out. Finally, I heard Xavier's voice speak up again, "It's alright Chrissy, they're all gone."

The box remained a moment longer, then simply faded away back to nothingness. Zach's face was amused, and he leaned back against the wall as he watched me slowly get up and move towards Xavier's desk. "I…" I couldn't find any words. I didn't know what to say. "I don't belong here." I finally muttered.

"From what I understand, Chrissy, you possess some very unique talents." He paused and folded his hands atop the desk, "I would like to…apologize, about the incident back in New York. I hope you don't think that we abandoned you, but it's difficult to track your mind alone, and since you keep moving, Cerebro can't predict where you're going, or where you'll be."

I just watched the desk, praying for this to be over. He made me nervous. This whole place made me nervous, so closed in and cavernous. "I don't…know what to do anymore, professor." I whispered, "I don't know what's real anymore, I just…"

Suddenly the room changed. No, there had never been a room. I wasn't in the institute anymore, I never had been… I had dreamt it all up. I was surrounded by buildings and people, back in California. I let out a choked sob and stepped back, hitting a solid brick wall as I clutched my head.

The people around me paid no attention. Xavier was gone, Zach was gone. They hadn't existed, I had dreamed them up…

Slowly I collapsed to my knees, crying. Distantly, I could hear voices. I screamed, and started running when hands grabbed me, holding me against them. I panicked. A faceless man had grabbed me, held a knife to my throat. He spoke to me, but I couldn't understand. I flailed against him and screamed again, pushing and struggling.

_Chrissy, _Xavier's voice was suddenly very real, very close. I fought it, I tried to close my mind against it, against all the voices, all the people. I wouldn't die. I couldn't die. _Chrissy, please. You have to calm down._

The man holding me was gone, everything faded to black for a moment, before I jerked upright, panting, gasping. Trembling as I was, I couldn't take a full breath. I was back in the institute, but no, the institute didn't exist. None of this did. I turned and bolted for the door, the scene changing again for a split second before familiar arms took hold of me.

Ezno held onto me, clutching me tightly. My knees weakened and I dropped to the ground, holding him as tight as I possibly could. He never said anything about it, "Calm down, don't worry. Relax, this is real, Chrissy. You can get help. I got you, so just…calm down. There's a girl."

Slowly I was relaxing against Ezno's frame. The room's appearance rippled again, but only partially. It was like the California city was a ghost, now.

"What's going on? What was that, Professor?" Zach's voice was worried. But I didn't look up as Ezno wrapped himself around me.

Xavier was silent for a moment longer, then sighed again. "I've been very concerned about this one. She has the ability to alternate reality, to create and distort the things around her. Her mind though, is hard to penetrate. Too many voices, too much chaos. Cerebro can't get a lock on her, she often times scrambled the system when I tried to concentrate on her, when she creates scenes like this."

"Incredible." He breathed.

"Indeed, but also very damaging. The smallest fears can get her mixed up, and her mind will panic." He paused, "How is she?"

"Frightened." Ezno's voice startled me a little. He rarely talked to outsiders. "But, she's calmed down for now." He stood, and urged me up with him.

Slowly I turned. Ezno kept his hands firmly on my shoulder, and I looked at the floor, a soft red carpet like the one on the staircase, "I'm so sorry." I breathed, "I really don't belong here, Professor. I have…"

"Please try not to worry about it, Chrissy. This is exactly where you belong. This institution helps people like you take control of their powers, instead of letting their powers take control." Xavier moved back, then pushed his chair around his desk, "You possess an incredible gift, but it appears that it is difficult to handle. I would like you to stay here, Chrissy. I can try and help you put a rein on your abilities."

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Behind me, Ezno nodded reassuringly, "You need this, Chrissy."

**Chapter 1.2**

**Life's Little Surprises**

"What do you see?" Strife's quiet voice reverberated through the hollowed room.

Sitting in the center of the circular space was a woman. The fluorescent lights above her filtered through the space, the rough beige carpet, the white wash walls… The woman appeared young, with layered grey hair and ghastly white skin.

"I see the same thing I always do, Strife." She said, then smiled softly with pale, pale lips, "I see change."

Strife frowned, "You say the same thing every time I come to you." The man stated, folding his arms over his chest. The man was dressed entirely in black, his hair wild and oddly out of order. His dark eyes held annoyance, and his pursed lips were held in a solid frown.

"What is it you are looking for?"

Strife paused and a snarl touched his lips, "Change." He turned and grasped the door.

"I see something though," she said, making the man pause a moment, "I see something beyond the swirls of change. There is something, that makes it all come together. A force beyond your control." She smiled, "A force that will make all of our lives end, as we know them."

Strife felt a shudder down his spine. "All this hell," he growled, "Only to die a bitter end." He opened the door, and vanished, leaving the woman to sit alone. Smiling into the silence.

**Chapter 1 End**

**Author's Note:**

**Ok, so I know I said that I would only do the FFX fanfic, but I'm a woman. I'm allowed to be indecisive. Nobody reads my stuff anyway (except one loyal reader, thanks!). So, a few days ago, I sat down and meticulously started watching the X-Men Evolution series, so that's where this began. Needless to say, I loved it. But, of course, my hatred for just taking something and using it for my own wouldn't let me tamper with the main story line too much. Thus is why this one takes place a few years after the main story line has ended, it involves new character (and a few old ones you'll recognize), new powers, and an overall darker setting.**

**This, my friends, is my ONLY warning to you. If you're a young reader, DO NOT read this story. I realize it's rated T+, but only barely. I may change it to M at any time if I feel things are getting too out of hand, but this early on, I don't know where things are going to go. This is going to be a darker story line, with actual character growth, character deaths, and graphic scenes. If you're easily offended or squeamish, read at your own risk.**

**Ok, so now all the formalities are out of the way. None of my AN's after this should be nearly this long. Sorry about the short chapter, I just threw it together to see how it would feel, and I like it. This will probably be a bit of a wild story line, but I'm pretty good at keeping things unpredictable. If you read this, and like it, please, PLEASE review. If you read it and you didn't like it, tell me why. I love feedback.**

**So I hope some of you will stick around for chapter 2, because I have NO idea what's going to happen. No, really, I don't. Ok, so maybe I do. Talk to you all later!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.1**

**Instinct**

Rachelle sat with her legs crossed, arms folded and her back to the wall. This was undeniably deemed her 'thinking pose.' Even though it almost never worked. She was a woman of action, not brainpower.

Around her, the park was pretty quiet. This early in the morning, only a few joggers were out panting their regrets down the pathways, wondering why they promised that they would participate in such a fools activity. This was, she had decided, the best place to collect her thoughts for the next part of her little plan. That was, this was the best place to think of the next part of her plan.

She had made it all the way from California to Bayville, the small town girl coming all the way in order to associate herself with the X-Men. Only, she didn't honestly think she would have made it this far, and had surprised herself even now by sitting here. It only strengthened her confidence, though.

_Alright,_ she thought, reaching out for her worn green bag sitting beside her, _My next objective is to make it into the Institute._

She pulled out a notebook and a pen, scribbling this down. No other plans other than 'get into institute' were made before she threw her stuff back into her pack and took off. She needed to figure out exactly where the Institute was in this new city, but that couldn't be hard. She had seen pictures of it on the television, and knew that it was very large, shouldn't have been hard to miss.

As she rounded her way out of the park, a mother pushing a stroller was walking in. Rachelle smiled and walked up to the woman, who smiled back at her. "Excuse me ma'am!" she began, waving her hand before offering it out, "I'm Rachelle Baker, and I'm new to the city. Would you happen to know where the Xavier Institute is?"

Obviously, this was one of those 'bad ideas' Rachelle had been so often told she had. The smiling woman had reached out to take her hand, then stopped and withdrew it sharply. She started walking away, "Filthy mutant." She spat.

"W-wait!" Rachelle ran to catch up, "I'm not a mutant, I'm a human, honest!"

The woman didn't pause.

Plan B. Rachelle reached into her bag and ran up to the woman again, "Wait, look." She held out a spray can and grinned a malicious grin, "I came all the way out here to put in my two cents about those mutants. I just want direction." She put the spray can back into her bag.

The woman appeared to change her mind. "I would rather have nothing to do with them." She stated, looking down at her toddler in the stroller. Sighing, she shook her head, "They're along the coast. Just head east from here and you should end up finding it." She turned and continued to walk away.

This time, Rachelle let her go, smiling to herself. She knew full well that when it came to mutants, people weren't as likely to talk unless they got what they wanted to hear. Getting information from people was one of the few things that Rachelle was truly good at. She turned, and gauged the sun, making sure she knew her direction before she started walking west, out of the park and into the city.

The city was just starting to come alive, such a colorful place and a pretty little ocean city. As she passed the small grocery store, her eyes caught a bit of movement. She paused and focused on this, the dark skinned feet flailing as the little critter dug around in the garbage.

Rachelle perked up. The thing was having trouble getting out, so she rushed over and grasped his ankles, helping to hoist him out of the garbage can. He dropped to the ground and looked up. With weird purple skin and wide eyes, a beak for a mouth. Rachelle's mouth fell open. This was a mutant!

He clutched a slimy paper back to her chest, muttered something quick, then turned and took off running.

"Wait!" Rachelle took off after him, "Wait, please, I just want to talk to you!"

The little monster didn't appear to have heard her. He rounded a corner, and as Rachelle followed suit, he was just diving under a manhole. The huge metal plate slammed shut, leaving the poor girl to simply sigh in disappointment. She couldn't lift a manhole, and even if she could, her instincts told her not to go down there, and she never went against her instincts.

"Something I can help you with?" the gruff, deep voice made Rachelle jump, then turn. Her jaw dropped at what she saw.

He was huge! What skin she could see was dark, his face, some of his arms and legs. The rest of his body was covered by strange, bone-looking plates with gnarled spikes jutting out in all directions. His dark eyes were narrowed, focused on poor Rachelle who could do naught but stare with amazement.

"Y-You're…a mutant!" she finally gasped.

"Yea!" shot the man, "So what? What're you gonna do about it, HUH?" He advanced, and a spike formed out of his arm, the tip glowing a violent red.

Rachelle backed up a few paces, "Wait! You have me all wrong, I don't want to hurt you, I want to help you!"

He snarled, and Rachelle's back hit the wall.

"Please, I'm telling the truth. I'm Rachelle Baker, I'm a human, but I've wanted to study mutants ever since they showed up. Or, rather, until the world knew about them. I came all the way to Bayville to find Professor Xavier, he's the only person I know who can help me."

This didn't appear to calm the large mutant down. He took another step forward, "I don't believe you."

Rachelle fell silent.

"Why do you want to 'study' mutants? What do you plan to do to them?" he snarled.

"I don't plan to do anything _to_ them, I just want to know more _about _them! I've been fascinated with mutants. Their abilities and their habits, just being around them is enough for me." She swallowed hard, and took a bold step forward, "Please, you have to understand. If I have any ill intent, wouldn't Xavier be the first to know? Just, point me in the right direction."

The large mutant frowned. He had obvious trust issues. He leaned down and grasped the manhole, then lifted it with little effort. "Get in." he said.

Rachelle looked down the dark hole, uncertain. Her instincts were torn. She felt safe with this mutant, no matter how frightening he appeared, but she was unsure of what else might lurk down there. Finally, she moved, slipping her foot down onto the first rungs of the ladder.

Just as she reached the ground, the light above went dark. Panic struck for a split second before she heard the heavy sound of feet dropping down beside her. Ugh! This place stank to all high heavens, and the poor girl had to take a few moments just working on keeping her stomach settled before she looked up at the large mutant.

"I'm Spyke, by the way." He growled. "Don't worry about the smell, you get used to it."

Hopefully, thought Rachelle, she wouldn't be down here long enough to 'get used' to this horrible stink.

Spyke started walking, "Come on." He said.

Rachelle was only just able to follow his dark frame through the shadows. "So," she started, "This is where you live? You don't stay with Xavier?"

There was a long pause, "I used to." He said, "But the mutants that live down here posses mutations that people up top don't look well on. You can call me something of a Guardian, I guess."

"You're incredible." She said suddenly, "I knew mutants often watched out for each other, but I've never actually seen it up close. Actually, I've never really seen a mutant up close. Only in news footage on the television." She paused, "So do you have a real name, Spyke?"

He remained silent.

"So, there are other mutants down here? Are they like you?"

He shook his head, "They're all different. But, they don't all have ways to defend themselves."

"I see…" She paused, then smiled at the man's back through the darkness, "They have a pretty amazing Guardian, though. They must be proud."

He was silent.

They walked like this for a good while, until Spyke finally stopped and pointed up. "If you go through there, you'll be right in front of the institute."

Rachelle looked up. Spyke thrust his arm up, and a flaming spike rammed into the metal plate covering the manhole. It flew up, and hit the ground with a loud clang.

"Go." Rachelle looked up, and moved for the ladder.

**Chapter 2.2**

**Growth**

"She's unstable." Xavier began. The small conference room was scattered with some of his older students, those who made up his main team for this institute. Each of them sat, listening. "Her mind is confused chaos, and I'm very much unable to tell what is real or not. I fear that she may be unreachable. Her powers are dangerous, and mixed with her mental state…"

"She seems pretty nice. Confused, certainly, but nice." Zach sat three seats back, "What are you saying here, professor?"

Xavier sighed. "I fear that she's too much to handle. Her powers are too strong, and if ever she truly lost control… My first priority is the safety of my students."

"So you're going to give up on her before you even try?" A red headed man with a stubble goatee and wire rimmed glasses asked. "Sure, she may be hard to manage, but are you even going to try?"

"Ark, I can't get into her mind. She keeps me very well blocked out, and I fear that it may tamper with my mental stability as well as what remains of hers, to break those barriers down." He shook his head, "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm fearful of her, and what she can do."

"Give her a chance, Charles. She's not the only one who's got some mental problems." Logan sat closest to Xavier. He was leaned back in his chair, scowling at nothing in particular. "You said those powers of hers are strong. Think of what she can do if she learned to control that."

"I agree with the professor." The soft voice came from the furthest chair at the opposite end of the table. The man sitting there had his face buried in his palm, "She is just too much for us to deal with right now. We have bigger problems to deal with."

"So what you're saying is that we just drop her in some mental ward? Sedate her to the point of a vegetable? Or how about take her out of existence in some high class containment area like you did to your brother." Zach's eyes narrowed at Xavier who seemed to squirm uncomfortably. "We're all about giving people a chance here, Charles. You're really going to take that away from her?"

He snorted, and continued, "You can't get into her head, but the world has other means of reaching out to people. Maybe you can't calm her down mentally, but we can at least try."

"Cute speech." Ark chuckled softly.

Zach just sneered at the man.

Xavier sat there for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, "It seems that I am outnumbered. But should she show herself to be too much of a danger to my students or any of you, I will be forced to take necessary precautions."

The others nodded. "Zach, would you go fetch Chrissy? I believe she's making some new friends in the kitchen."

**Chapter 2.3**

**The Silver Lining**

With everyone gone to go talk about me in the conference room, I figured I might take this opportunity to explore the place. So nicely laid out, except for the occasional bit of collateral damage. It was obvious that mutants lived here.

I moved from the living room to the foyer, looked up the stairs, then shook my head and continued across into the kitchen. There was a rather large dining table that appeared to be bolted to the ground. The chandelier above it was reinforced to the ceiling by a heavy metal plate. The counters that curled around the left side of the kitchen were all solid steel, including the island in the center of the room that seemed to serve as more of a shield than a cooking space.

I paced around the kitchen for a long moment, looking over the clean space, searching for anything really. I looked around before I opened the fridge door and my mouth dropped at the sight of all that food! My stomach rumbled, and I absently wondered how long it had been since I had last had a _real_ meal. That was, the last time I hadn't just dreamed that I was eating something.

I pushed some of the food aside, and spotted something in the back of the fridge that sparked my interest. I leaned in, pushed aside a carton of milk and grabbed at one of the soda cans in the very back.

"Uhm, I wouldn't do that." The giggling voice made me jump, ramming the back of my head against the top of the fridge. "Those are Amp's, he kind of needs them."

I groaned as I pulled myself out of the fridge, rubbing the back of my head as I looked for the source of the voice.

She was a tiny little thing. Couldn't have been more than five feet, with long, perfectly straight golden blonde hair and a heart shaped face so fragile that I relaxed right away at the sight of her smile. Her frame was sickly thin, though.

"Uh, Amp?" I asked, closing the door.

She giggled softly, and it made me smile. I dropped my hand from the back of my aching head and leaned against the counter.

"Yea, he needs something to charge him in the morning, or else he's useless all day." She waved her hand dismissively, "Kind of stupid if you ask me." She beamed at me all of a sudden with a wide smile, "I'm Serena. But most people just call me Pixie."

"Oh?" I shrugged, "Well, I guess you are pretty small." I chuckled.

Pixie winked, then spread her arms and took a deep breath. There was a quick flash, I shielded my eyes, and when I looked up, Serena was gone. Or, not really. She was floating where she had been before, only a few inches tall now with that same smiling face.

"Whoa," I breathed.

There was another flash, and the girl was back to normal size. She giggled, "The smaller I get, the stronger I get. I can go even smaller, but it takes more energy." She shrugged, then smiled, "Do _you_ have a special power?"

I shrugged and looked aside. "Yea, I guess." I absently wondered if this girl was real or not. It wouldn't be the first time I caught myself, but she mentioned another person. Ezno appeared at my side, sitting on the counter with his head cocked curiously.

Although, Pixie didn't appear to notice Ez at all, which confirmed to me that she was real. I hoped.

She looked at me funny. She was expecting me to elaborate.

"Hey there, Chrissy." Zach appeared in the kitchen doorway, Ez vanished and I gave a silent thankful prayer. "Looks like you met Serena." He patted the girl on the back as he approached, "How was training today?"

Her face fell to a harsh scowl, "Ugh, Amp ran us ragged. I think I would have rather taken Wolverine." She waved her hand dismissively again.

Zach looked up at me and smiled. "Chrissy here is going to be our newest tenant."

Pixie giggled and smiled, "She can stay in my room!"

Zach shrugged, "Maybe." He turned and pointed to the door, "Come on, the Professor is going to introduce her."

"Should I gather the others?" the girl asked as I moved from the counter towards Zach, following his lead again.

He shook his head, "I think, for now it would be best if she was assimilated slowly." He reached out and took my shoulder guiding me back to the conference room with his same soft smile.

There were a few people inside. Xavier sat back behind the desk, and smiled as I entered. My eyes darted from face to face as the people looked up at me, studied me. "Hello Chrissy," Xavier began, then looked to the others, "Everyone, this is Chrissy Matthews."

I lifted a hand just a little, though it was covered by my enormous sleeve, and waved slightly.

"Chrissy," the professor opened his hand out to gesture to everyone. "This is the faculty of the institute."

The first man to stand was about six feet, light skinned with kind eyes behind wire frame glasses, a stubble goatee and short layered red hair. He wore a simple coat that reached his knees, a white tee and jeans. He smiled warmly at me, and I felt myself relax. This man offered his hand out to me, "Hello there, my name is Ark Yuleman. Everyone just calls me Ark."

I shook Ark's hand lightly, and he stepped back. The next to approach me was a shorter man, with tanned skin and wild eyes, wild hair and an overall feral nature. He offered out his enormous hand, which engulfed mine effortlessly, and tried to smile, "Logan, but I'm also called Wolverine."

He stepped back and allowed the next one to approach. This man had snowy pale skin and black eyes, shiny black hair in a tidy little bowl cut. He seemed so delicate, so fragile, almost like Serena, only his hand was cold to the touch, like touching the brittle powder of snow. "Amar. Many refer to me as Seer." His voice was shocking. So quiet and soft I almost had to strain to hear it, but it commanded so much power that it was impossible not to listen to.

He moved aside.

The next to approach me was a blonde haired woman with a serious face and a suit dress. She extended out a sharp hand, and I only just took the tips of her fingers. She smiled at me, and I could sense the feral nature behind those professional eyes. "Elliot Livingston. A.K.A. Panther."

I nodded, she moved back to her seat. The next man was surprising. "I'm not really faculty," he chuckled, smiling broadly at me. "The name is Lucas, but I'm also known as Amp." His hair was short and spiked, a light shade of gray just short of white. He commanded attention, though, and shook my hand with firm confidence. A leader of some sort, I would say. He stepped back.

There didn't appear to be anyone else approaching me, so after a moment I took a deep breath and blushed, "Um, it's…nice to meet you all." I tried to smile, but my eyes turned towards the ground.

Zach laughed beside me. "Well, aren't you curious?" he asked.

I blinked and looked up at his always smiling face, "About what?"

Ark chuckled lightly, "About our powers."

I cocked my head to the side. "Uhm." I stepped back a little.

"I'm sure it's been a long and stressful day, Chrissy." Xavier stepped in, sensing my nervousness. "Zachary, why don't you show Chrissy a room that she can stay in, and we'll get her more properly settled in tomorrow, hmm?" He smiled, and I nodded.

Zach seemed a little disappointed, as did Ark. But the others stood and left the room without another word. Zack motioned for the door and led me out. This time, as we reached the Foyer, he led me up to the stairs. As we moved down the hall, he spoke a little bit.

"I think you'll end up liking it here." Zach said, "Once you get used to the people, we're a pretty fun bunch. If just a little eccentric." I rolled my eyes. A little?

He stopped at one of the doors and pulled out a key, unlocking the handle before handing me the little copper object. The door swung open, "This is your room," he said, "We won't hassle you about keeping it clean, that's up to you. Anything you want, extra pillows, blankets or any of that, you'll have to get yourself." He shrugged.

I walked into the room, a well designed little area. To the far side was a small balcony, a glass door with white curtains, a desk and a few shelves for space, a fern in the corner, and a bed and dresser on the right side of the room. I turned to look at Zach, then entered slowly, "This is really mine?" I asked incredulously. I ran my fingers over the covers of my bed. "No, this can't be mine." I shook my head and sat down on the bed.

From the doorway, Zach shrugged, "It takes a while to settle in. A lot of people don't believe it at first." He smiled again, "You'll be right at home here." He said softly, "I promise. Now, how about you get some rest?"

I looked up at him, then nodded. He closed the door, and I got up and locked it before I moved back to the bed. Slowly I sat back down, only to find that I was in Ezno's lap. He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled me gently. Before I really knew what was going on, he had laid us both down and curled himself around me protectively. I closed my eyes, and knew I was sleeping…

**Chapter 2 End**

**Author's Notes**

**So, I'm surprised.I actually got a few reviews! It's encouraging, and I'm a bit excited. For anyone reading this, thanks so much for the intrest! I encourage you to review, because reviews fuel my fire! Chapter 3 coming up quick, with more fun times on the way.**


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